BACHELOR CHRISTMAS EVE APPLE PIE IN STEPS!

CHRISTMAS IS THE HERO TIME OF THE YEAR!

To tap into one's highest and best self is tricky but my constant stumbling attempt to do do so,

is the reason I am sending out to you this holiday greeting to let you know that I am thinking of all of you warmly, sincerely, and fondly. And, that I wish you, family & pets, a Merry Christmas! and a Happy New Year!

Kamaroh P. Jones

PS: My friend Tom Zam of Rick's Studio did the photography with a cool old vintage camera which is one of many he owns.

WEST COAST SONG WRITERS IN MUIRSVILLE

MUIRSVILLE IS A NATURE'S WONDEROUS NESTING PLACE:

KINDA, SORTA, QUICKLY OUT OF BLOGSPOT.COM; THE SAGA CONTINUES.

I have decided that the new home of Kamaroh’s blog will probably be TypePad. The new title will be easy for folks to find and will continue a variation of the HERO theme that I started my blogging career with years ago and which I continue to define personally. I have been blogging for about nine years now and my knowledge of blogging and computers, being that I went to a Colorado High School in The Fifties, has been hard and slow gained. But, I think I have finally got one thing—you must pay (in order to receive from) a blogging site for the service and the respect you receive! And, even as progressive and in high repute as is the Google umbrella, they may have just financial motivation to maintain fee-free BlogSpot limits at but a median modicum of performance—so be it! …Anyhow, the Hero progression has bigger fish to fry: based not only on its ambition but also in Kamaroh’s resolute belief that recognition of the heroic in oneself is a critically important arrogance! …As to the concept of “monetize your blog!”, no checks, nor explanation of why no checks, have yet arrived at our office progressively located near the top of Hero Hill here in Muirsville. …I have not had time to peruse many BlogSpot bloggers (and at times have felt tinges of jealousy and envy but held that in check when I define for myself what I want Kamaroh’s small share of readership to accomplish) but I do admire the posts of Bryan at The Happy Trappers and Alan Chan at ACfishing and I liked reading The Yukon Mushers but the author mentioned about the potential of not having enough food for the dogs in her kennel and I am worried about her outcome and of her husband and of their dogs—because she hasn’t posted in over a year. And, by so saying, that is my small goodbye to those three bloggers. Ciou, Kamaroh! #

CARROLL HALL SHELBY INTO KAMAROH'S KAOG CLUB.

I decided if anybody deserved induction into Kamaroh's Kick Butt Old Guy club, it is this gentleman. Congratulations, sir!

THE KAOG CLUB AND "FAITH OF MY FATHERS" BY JOHN McCAIN with MARK SALTER

Some of the biographies I read I kind of stumble over, then pick them up and read; this one I did not do that but aggresively hunted down. ISBN 0-375-50191-6 Book has 349 pages; and was published by Random House 1999.

I have only owned it a few hours and what I have gleaned thus far is that Grandfather John McClain was a three star admiral; father John Mclain was a four star admiral; and to put what I already knew into place, Senator John McClain was a Navy Flier. What immediately struck me to the quick one page 1 was the following passage: ... My grandfather loved his children. And my father admired my grandfather above all others. My mother, to whom my father was devoted, once asked him if he loved his father more than he loved her. He replied simply, 'Yes, I believe I do.' (More latter when I unchoke.) To continue, Of course what automatically came to my mind was how diametrically opposed this is to the relationship that has been authored for my son, Stone G. Jones and myself.

...I have just started reading this book, and as I have just finished discussing my gut reaction to the father/father/son relationship above, what occurred to me this morning as I sat down to continue writing where I fell out yesterday, is that at the top of the written material printed on the inside of the dust jacket I encountered the following, "... McCain tells a story that in the words of Newsweek. ' makes the other presidential canidates look like pigmies.' ...." Of course I voted for John McCain, III, but I wish I had read it much earlier and wish I had heard lot fewer of the "old" jokes that were going around at the time he was running for office. My thinking is that this book should have been sent out to each male, former serviceman, registered voter before the election.

Join Kamaroh's KAOG club: which means, kick butt old guy!

OLIVER NORTH'S:"JUST SEND MORE ENEMY, SIR!"

Today in the mail I received AMERICAN HEROES, copyright 2009 by Oliver North and Fox News. ISBN 978-0-8054-4953-2. B & H Publishing Group - Nashville, Tennessee 300 pages; 100s of pictures. I only recently discovered this book and now I belive I understand why I am receiving so many hits on my faulted comments on his Iran/contra book; I am apparently getting the attention of many of the New-age VETS he met when he and Fox News obtained the material in Iraq and Afganistan for this publication. I am invested in both New age and Old school heroes and will read it a couple of times when I get through with my reading of the male members of the McCain family.

MUSTANGS, MARINES, AND MADELINE PICKENS!

I recently read in the SF Chronicle that Madeline Pickens bought a 14,000 acre ranch with grazing rights on BML controlled land for another 540, 000 acres on which she proposes to establish a wild horse sanctuary with a trial of 1,000 head of horses. This spread is reportedly located 70 miles east of Elko Nevada; she is said to be negotiating on another 4,000 adjacent acres with 240,000 acres of grazing rights. on which she wants to eventually place some 35,000 wild horses that are currently in government-funded holding areas. The idea is that she would form a non-profit foundation, a Wild Horse Eco-sanctuary, that would I suppose be open measureably to Americans to visit. The facility would be fenced to contain the horses and would be probably sustained to some exent by a $500 per head government stipend.

...The Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard was formed in 1967. In 1988 the Marine Corps first adopted a BLM wild horse called "Okinawa" for the mounted color guard. I am informed that today the Marines ride five adopted formerly wild Palamino mustangs. Apparently, several of the mustangs received training by the prisoners in Carson City, Nevada.

...I just have the notion that if the sanctuary does become a reality--and I have read reports that the BML wants the wild horses completely out of Nevada and back East; and, I have also read recent reports that they have approved the sanctuary--that perhaps someday Madeline Pickens will be in charge of US Marines; or at least the horses they ride in the Mounted Color Guard may formerly be charges of hers; anyhow, for us, it is hard to say what that outcome may be when you combine a blond, palamino horses, and the Marines!

MANLY OUTINGS--SECOND TIME AROUND

I notice that someone recently read my entry MANLY OUTINGS of August 15; so-- I took another look at it and my goodness it was garbled and unclear--my brain must have been frozen there on Starbucks patio when I wrote it. Anyhow, I straightened it up, continue to amend it, and I still go along with myself as to the worth of my sentiments in it.

OLIVER L. NORTH: UNDER FIRE, An American Story

UNDER FIRE, "An American Story" by Oliver L. North with W. Novak. Harper/Collins 1991 ISBN 0060183349.

...I read biographies of public men. I do not write reviews. I make remarks and I deposit comments. I did not look for this book; it found me somewhere. Under Fire was a good read for me. It refreshed and advanced my understanding of the Iran/contra buzz. ...Although "Ollie" North is not yet one of Kamaroh's heroes, I have a higher regard for him now I have read his book and probably a lesser regard for Ronald Regan. ...After all, Oliver North was a Marine as was I and no matter how subject to question his character may be, I am not so sure but that his bearing of incertitude is a characteristic that frequently is found in a lot of us who are Marines or who are former Marines--of course it has long been my belief that we men who consider ourselves strong and who are in action are constantly in need of the benefit of a doubt (first by those whom we love and secondly by those whom we swear to look out for). ...Please check out my entry, " USMC: Swimming With Sharks!" Friday, April 24th, 2009 No matter the what, I truly have regard for Mr. North's accomplishment of getting his side of his story written, published, and in the process of doing this hopefully earning money to provide for his family; after all, too many of us are prone to tell our side of our issue to those who probably don't really care; and, we have been willing to tell it for free ! ...What Oliver North's Pentagon pursuits were exactly may be questionable. From my reading of his book, it seems to his mind he was simply providing his superiors with diligent service and, as I look at it, what else was he to do? ...For months I have been doggedly reading at Bill Clinton's intense book, MY LIFE, and I recently checked to see what he had to say about Oliver North and the only thing I located about Oliver in it was that in writing Clinton flat makes the statement that Oliver North and Admiral Poindexter lied to congress, period. I believe that since this blog entry of mine is getting more attention than I ever imagined, I will re-read UNDER FIRE but unless my memory fails me, which it does sometimes now, I am pretty sure Oliver North doesn't believe he lied to congress. But, for now, my assessment of him from reading his book, is that there is little doubt of the importance of his family to Oliver North and that measure of responsibility makes him at least heroic by a percentage, and percentage heroics are okay by Kamaroh's standards, and if the consensus has it that he is a liar and a bad guy also, then so be it for them for now. ...I remember Colin Powell voiced opinion of Oliver North in his book, also. In order to to refresh my memory, I've got to locate another copy of it as I donated mine to The Vets Nursing Home at the VA Clinic in Muirsville . Somewhere on the internet I located a mug shot of Oliver North when he was arrested but decided I owe it to a fellow Marine not to disrespect him by passing it on anywhere. #

DON SHERWOOD: The Worlds Greatest Disc Jockey

Don Sherwood" The Worlds Greatest Disc Jockey. By Laurie Harper. Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA. 1989. ISBN 1-55958-001-1

I was in the VA Module 1 Clinic at Ft. Miley in San Francisco Friday waiting for my appointment with the urologist when a man came by with a cart full of books. He asked me if I wanted one and since I had had to wait two hours past my appointment time, I said "Yes," I did and did he have any biographies. His answer was that he believed that he did. And, actually he had two, one of which was the story of Lee Iacocca which I had read many years ago and this one which I didn't have a clue existed and is extremely interesting and is a real score of a read totally recommended by Kamaroh. ...I am now about half way through and am having trouble putting it down in order to take care of practical exigencies. ...I remember the radio personalities that speak of Sherwood in the interviews in this book, although I cannot recall paying much attention to Don Sherwood, I remember Hap Harper and his Traffic Watch over The Bay; and the names of Russ Coughlan; Dave McElhattan; Aaron Edwards.... My remembrances of these yo yo heads starts somewhere around 1963 when I was discharged from the Marine Corps. I haven't a clue where you could locate this book as it must be scarce and for sure I am not willling to let go of my copy.

DOING SOMETHING WRITE!

As usual, Johnny Flowers was runn ing his New Jersey opinions full throttle in my Hope, Nebraska face. Because, I had made the mistake of telling him that I had received a copywriting assignment from the Muiregional Booster people:

"How do you qualify for that! Did you go to copy writer's school!"

"No. I did not go to copy writers' school. I didn't have to, Johnny. It's all the same stuff. My six years of graduate creative writing classes fill most all the slots I need!"

Later, he says, " Dodge has a deal where you can buy a 2010 Dodge Ram and then you can walk away free if you don't like it within six months. That's what you need to do Kamaroh. People will see you driving that truck and they will say, There goes Kamaroh! He must be doing something right."

(Disclaimer: I did not check to see if this is a real Dodge Offer or not!)

DANCING ALONE TO MY UNFINISHED SONG

It is a good day when I find you in my mind

It is a bad day when you have been there too long

Right or wrong, you are ... unfinished song.

You are constantly in my heart

Yet music from the other side

Keeps the real from being you.

Images stay in my heart and in my head

You are part of me yet I am puzzled why you stay.

The band leaves and

you reach to me from an empty stage

My heart soars

But, then you go away!

Time goes by and I don't think of you at all

Then suddenly there you are:

A poster on a city wall

A song you've sung

A dance routine I see someone do.

An Asian woman wearing blue--

Your picture in a magazine

Snuggling couples on the Bart Train

And then I have a good day

and a bad day

as I revisit my unfinished song.

Dancing to the crowds' music

I ask for a moonlight walk with you,

Real that never is.

I know I cannot control my loving you

and

I believe loving you is not wrong

and I know

Loving you may be my detour---

Loving you, my muse, is my unfinished song.

you are always my favorite surprise,

and

Loving you sometimes has taken my breath away

Love is surprises and that is but its way--

I ask myself,

"Will you ever come?

And will you ever go?"

And, then I realize ...

the rest of my song

is only for God to hear

for

it disappears all on its own

into Country music that plays loudly on the other side.

(Nov. 15th, 2010. Recently during meditations, thinking about Spirit Guides, sitting on my bed just before putting myself down for the night, I happened to look up behind my right shoulder where my muses' picture hangs high on the wall--I try not to focus on it frequently now. Wow! the energy that beamed down on me from that picture had me exclaiming outloud and almost knocked me off the bed. Now I am thinking about you, her, more again. And, the picture is dusted off and clean. Further, I have worked a lot recently on this poem. However, I have decided not to include most of the new stuff here; so, if anyone has a commercial lyrical interest in it, please contact Kamaroh.)

MUIREGIONAL BOOSTER COMMITTEE

THE CONTRA COSTA REPUBLICAN PARTY

In our offices perched precariously due to faulty sheer walling high on the side of Hero Hill, recently we received an email informing us that the Contra Costa County, California, Repulican Campaign Headquarters is located at 1320 El Capitan Drive, in Danville. Full time Staff member is Thomas Midanek. The telephone number is 925-930-9551. The Contra Costa Republican Party is chaired by Betty Kolberg. She & I do not go way back but she sounds like she would the right choice also to bring order to an unruly sock drawer. Tell Betty Kamaroh sent you.,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! #88

My text message from my son buzzed twice before I woke up this morning. I like it a lot when he texts me on Sundays. He goes to the office for a few hours and gets organized for Monday--which I totally agree is a good idea: that's my boy! He included in his message that today is his brother's 40th birthday. He said that #88 is his brother's favorite number for Dale Earnhardt. I am not interested in NASCAR; more I like muscle and funny cars but they seem to get into NASCAR in his Las Vegas encircle and so be it.
...Anyhow this entry is a birthday tribute to my son's brother. He was born in 1970 and that makes him a dog in the Eastern Zodiac which is a cool sign.

Dogs are:

responsible

reliable

honest

compassionate

and nosy-

...When I went to Las Vegas for Stone's graduation from University of Nevada, I saw this lad, D., for the first time in six years on the patio of Stone's house at the party that night. What no one observed, not my son nor my former wife, is that when D. saw me he came over and gave me a big hug. We have always been fond of each other; and, it started when I used to pickup Stone and take him to Children's Fairyland in Oakland, and frequently I would offer to take D. with us and I would treat him just as well as would my own son. He has never forgot our excursions but other relatives have forgotten about my investment in that boy, so when I asked for D's phone number in order to text him happy birthday, my request was deflected. The sore point I see here is that no matter how pure intentions, it is a tough task to jump the fence of righteousness.

...Anyhow, I have been thinking about this little epigram--that was published somewhere, that I wrote many many years ago--and debating about publishing it here in my blog ever since I met up again with that amicable young man once again on Indie-Stone G. Jone's patio,

somewhere, somewhere in Las Vegas:
I love my son

I love his brother

Tell me God,

Why can't I love

Their mother?

Happy birthday D.,

Kamaroh

RETRO DODGE PICKUP DAYS

There was a day some years ago when I had the notion to buy a new Dodge pickup with a Cumming's diesel motor but then life and female relatives got in Kamaroh's way and it didn't happen. Then, what happened is that Dodge came out with a Hemi motor in their pickups; and, one day, I saw a high school councilor I knew scoot across a busy street into fast traffic with a big Dodge pickup with a Hemi motor and because of that--and because one of my clients gave me a cool old mint GMC pickup--I completely forgot my idea of owning a big Dodge pickup with a diesel motor. That is I forgot until recently--see my following description of John Princess's truck--and I got the notion that I wanted to return to my original plan; and, since Kamaroh is a retro kind of guy that it would be cool to acquire a mint condition early model.

SLOW LEAD IN OUR PENCILS!

...with resolve: I was in the 'Lab' waiting room at Fort Miley and, looking around, I realized that the ten guys in the room, despite their age, were a pretty tough group. I remarked this to the fellow sitting next to me, and he said, "Yes, I had been thinking that same thing too-- Just we're slower." ...My mind drifted off into a senario whereas I was the one to select our mission leader from the group. I selected one sharp and trim gray guy who had a jaw like the prow of a ship as a likely prospect. ...The first question I was thinking that I would ask each member of the group in order to help make my decision was what their rank was upon discharge and job specification; and then hand the leadership to him! ...Why not have me, Kamaroh, in charge? Of course I am a hero but me only I mostly am the only person to know that: No, no chance; I am a writer, have been so with resolve ever since I got kicked out of Creative Writing in High School ... and since when did poges and politicos ever take charge of troops in the military!

JUST-A HORSE TRAILORING IT UP HERO HILL!

This is the John Prince truck and trailor. Hero Hill Road has a steep grades, snakey twists, and a slippery way to go in the decent. This efficient rig does it muy bien!

A JOURNEY INTO AN INDUSTRIAL AREA OF REMOTE SAN FRANCISCO!

What happened is that while Barney is here for awhile from his girlfriend and new house in Thailand (please see my entries regarding his construction project), he wanted me to take a look at art and antiques he has in his storage unit that he needs to dispose of. So, I got off the BART at Embarcadero Station where he met me, and because Barney is always in a rush, given he allowed me a bathroom break to start with, I had scant opportunity to photograph but only a few of the things I saw that appealed to my photographer's eye!

JOHN PRINCE OF HERO HILL!

This is John Prince with his brother-in-law's metal detector. He is my nearest neighbor on Hero Hill and he was here way before I moved up on Hero Hill--which I discovered while on a lost helicopter ride with an Asian female pilot who had the hiccups. Me and Johnny Flowers have a lot of respect for John, that's why we call him First Hero of Hero Hill. He is always running on the clock doing things centered around the Mormon Church, helping folks, wood working; and his wife's dogs and horses. A former Martial Arts teacher and fry cook, he is a hunter, a metal detector guy; a cabinet maker, outdoors man, and horseman; and has a huge silver Dodge 4wheel Cummings diesel pickup. He is a busy but quiet hero up here on this blessed hill.

MANLY OUTINGS / WARM MOMENTS

This is a diary format entry: Early today, after my son Stone Jones returned my a.m. "Good morning!" text message, I was thinking that in my Aug 24, 2010, "Wilt" entry wherein I speak of Stone's enjoyment of male companionship (probably more than he does the sport of the activity as I don't recall him being interested in sports when he was in high school. He always had a job in a store somewhere after school)when he goes to the University of Nevada Basketball games, is that I should say that he takes his half-brother with him and I am sure they enjoy spending an evening out together (and even though I am separately fond of Stone's half-brother, that doesn't have anything to do with my opinion on how cool I feel it is that men can go out and comfortably socialize by themselves in a manly pro-forma , their blue collar shirts flapping in their own breeze and them dryin' on the line. I have gone to the ballet, the flea market, the movies or (real cool recently was) to Tommy's Joint on VanNess for buffalo stew with Barnie, with men friends and then Johny Flowers and I recently went to a Friday night car show at Sun Valley Shopping Center, and always had a great time. When I visited my son Stone in Las Vegas, he and I did several solo shopping excursions to WalMart, etc. in preparation for his graduation party; and of the rare hours that I have spent with Stone in his adult life, as I look at it now from this chilly table on the patio at a Muirsville Starbucks where I am sitting this late afternoon finishing writing for today, those brief errands ran with my lad were the warmest moments of my trip to Las Vegas.

NOW I HAVE TO READ SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE TWICE TO GET IT ONCE.

I don't buy the Chron- as frequently anymore since the price went up to a buck. It used to be, for small change, I could pick up a copy and skim through it on the BART ride to San Francisco and then toss it. Well, what happened Saturday is that on my way to The City to go with Barney (who is back from Thailand for a minute,) on an outing, I bought a copy at Safeway; and, started to slam through it on the train and what happened, wow!, is that I couldn't--there was too much substance to the articles and I will have to take it out of the rear pocket of my backpack next trip and work on the articles. Congratulations Chron-- good job!

CREATIVE HORSE VISUALIZATIONS BY SHAKTI GAWAIN

Kamaroh is not a new guy to creative visualizations. After all, it is purely positive thinking and doing that from center--heck yeah! I'm for that. I have another book somewhere on creative visualizations, I guess I must have left it in the studio I made for myself in the tackroom at the other house; that along with my Sean Connery tapes. Anyhow, I really got into it when I was experiencing the falling in love stuff that led me to write my book, The Unfinished Song, and the one strong visualization that I recorded at that time turned out to be the concluding segment of my book.

...Anyhow, when Barney moved to Thailand and left his possesions for me to store for him, I found this book in its contents(first published 1978 - ISBN#0931432-02-2) and started reading it again, seemingly profitably: please read the post that follows this one

HOW MANY HORSE POWER IS YOUR MAN POWER?

A horse is a horse is a horse; well, maybe not! If curious what's up with me and horses, please check my previous entry: Pondering Horses?. Pondering self-discovery, et al, my spiritual guide, who in my attempts at Creative Visualizations, seems to manifest himself as my beloved maternal grandfather, Fred, who always appears wearing a felt hat--which is odd as he was a farmer--and overalls: I see his arms reaching up and supporting me on the back of a horse chubby toddler with a knitted hat, have been pondering what the ongoing significance of horses in my thoughts; and, today, I had a heavy duty ureka moment, that maybe wasn't about actual alfalfa hay and oat eating animals, but just maybe! it was about reckoning with the horsepower under my own hat....

PONDERING HORSES?

Horses having occupied my creative visualizations, my writings, and my pensive thoughts more and more intensely lately than they ever have over the past fifteen years when abruptly one day at a Cinco De Mayo Parade in Oakland, CA, I was struck with their beauty and realized that even though I had been raised in cowboy country and really never had a direct physical relationship with them, they were a part of my history and like my Asian muse they had no inclination whatsoever to vacate the quick of my rustic soul, were also there for the duration, and that I had best deal with them seriously and try to figure out what my they were--symbolically and metaphorically at best--up to...

WILT

I finished this biography of Wilt Chamberlain a week or two ago and do recommend it--that is if you can locate a copy. Officially, it is WILT by Wilt Chamberlain and David Shaw; published by Macmillan 1973. I don't recall seeing an ISBN#. I found it at a Thrift Town Store that is en route to the Bay Area Rapid Transit Train that I take to San Francisco--as my fans know, I sometimes go to The City each day. Since I habitually read autobiographies and biographies of well-known men, I spontaneously bought this for a dollar.
...I am only superficially interested in basketball (my son, Stone Jones, seems really into the fraternization opportunities offered him by following the sport). And, so, the copious information Wilt recalls about his games passed me on by). However, it was surely worth my time reading as, of course, it is a narrative of ascendance by a male sports legend--and reading along I soon realized that Wilt was a man of depth, intelligence, and deeply independent of marriage. Of course, for me as a masculinist, a man who is willing to maintain a home without the dependence of a female assisting him to keep it together, is admirable to me. These,notations of mine of course, are small issues in the substance of his story but be that as it may, they are on top of the recall of my thoughts (In addition to writing this personal treatment of Wilt. I am currently reading the biographies of Bill Clinton and Ollie North simultaneously. I saw a man reading a thick biography of Ringo Star on the BART last night; I won't read that.).
...To close my review, in his book I read that Wilt Chamberlain, playing with a broken hand during a 1972 NBA championship game which the Lakers won, was supposed to receive a now very expensive Dodge Challenger (muscle car) as most the valuable player in the series and he declined it in favor of a Dodge Station wagon which he wanted to carry his dogs on excursions; and, by Kamaroh's standards, that's heroic in multiple ways!